Abstract

Influenza immunizations are a critical means of preventing illness and death every flu season. these immunizations are projected to prevent thousands of deaths and save billions of dollars of productivity every year. The CDC has expanded its’ recommendation for vaccination to include all persons over 6 months in 2010, but national immunization rates have not surpassed 40% for all age groups. Expand the availability of flu shots to include non-traditional site has been recommended. Emergency Departments’ populations of under-immunized patients would be one such area where expanded immunizations could be targeted. In addition, targeting visitors in EDs would expand any immunization program. This survey research project evaluated the baseline influenza vaccination rate of patients and visitors, the percent of unimmunized individuals planning to be immunized this season and the willingness of these individuals to receive an influenza vaccination in three different financial offerings: if the flu shot was free, if the cost was reimbursed by an insurance company, and if the patient or visitor was directly charged the cost of immunizations. Immunization rates were better than national averages. Approximately 75% of all persons would agree to a flu shot in the ED if offered for free and decreasing to just less than 50% if self pay. Among unimmunized persons, immunization rates were only 50% if free, suggesting a cognitive barrier, and dropping to 25% if self pay, suggesting a financial barrier. If a widespread immunization program were offered next flu season, a large number of patients and visitors could potentially be immunized. Limitations to the prediction include a low sample size and a suspected high rate of refusal to cooperate with this survey. Offering flu vaccines in Emergency Medicine, however, would provide a non-traditional site of vaccination, potentially reach a large number of people with structural and financial barriers to healthcare and be of important public health significance if implemented either locally or nationally.